Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

 

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Paperback: 322 pages

Release date: November 22nd, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin 

Source: NetGalley

Amazon ││The Book Depository ││ Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Summary: When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life. 

It was never been an easy life for Harper to be the bad, stubborn and who-lets-her-parents-down daughter to her parents, it just gets bad when her sister June died. Harper was addressed to be an Ice-cold, hard-headed girl who didn’t cry even on her sister’s funeral. While June was the calm, obedient, smart and almost perfect daughter among the two of them. Harper seems to be eating up all the emotions she felt after June died, with all the annoyed faces of the people who think she should know the signs before June did it and her mother suffering from the lost of her daughter and the divorce before that. But all of it has been aside when she decided to find out what really happened to June and a guy happens to be sort of connected to June could help her. As Harper and Jake discover what was on June’s mind before she died they did not only found what they’re looking for but also Harper seems to found her true self, what she wants and what she didn’t wanted to be. There journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster with all the music and stuffs through their ride to California and the struggles they have to face. 

The whole story was easy to grasp and not a knotty kind of story. I love how Harper was in a bit of a strong and snarky side and Jake, who loves music as his life was like her. There banter and sarcastic comments just add to heat up their affection to each other. The story did not only talk about Harper’s relationship with her family and how to deal with it, but it central theme, which I believed, is being free. Free to do what you want and don’t want, how to express your own feelings. Harper did it, she soon finds what she wants and does it, Jake live up with music but there are things that still keep him from doing what he wants, but with the help of Harper he let his fears go. And June, all her life everyone seems to think that she is perfect but she knows that there are things that she wanted to do but can’t, feelings she wanted to let out but don’t know how. In the end she decided to let her emotions out by doing what she knew would set her free. 

The book was in fact a heart-warming story, with how it shows a life of a person could change in just a click (wrong or right), that could affect not only her self but also the people around her. I really enjoy the book; I don’t have to state the obvious thing that a reader should do. :)) 

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Waiting on Wednesday: Rebel Heart and Pushing the Limits

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young

Paperback

Release date: October 30th, 2012

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Goodreads Summary: The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued.
The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together
Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life. All should be well.
But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba.
And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands.
Then a messenger shows up.
With news of Jack. 

Blood Red Road was one of the best dystopian book I've read last year. And don't you just love the cover?? It's far different from the first book's cover but I still think it's awesome. Jack is such a hottie.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry 

Hardcover

Release date: August, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Goodreads summary: In Pushing the Limits, two teens, brought together by their court ordered therapist, work together to learn the secrets of their case files, but neither foresaw the shattering consequences of the learning the truth regarding their families or of falling in love. 
her trademark wit and wisdom in a hilarious new novel.

It's a YA Contemporary Romance. How can I miss it?

What are you anxiously waiting on this week? Just leave a comment of the link to your WoW post!

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Review: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead

  

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead

Hardcover: 503 pages

Release date: August 25th, 2009

Publisher: Razorbill

Source: Bought

Buy it on: Amazon ││The Book Depository ││ Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Summary: 

Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same.

The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victime matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa - her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess - or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the end of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved?

This book was given to me last Christmas. I started to read it right away, but I was disappointed. It took me a week to finish this one. I expected the book to be fast paced, just like the other VA novels, but it was pretty slow for me. The story picks up where Shadow Kiss left off. Rose decided to leave Lissa and find Dimitri. Yes, the book is mainly about Rose's journey to Siberia, where she expects to find and kill Dimitri as a promise made by her to him when he turns into a Strigoi. There, she reflects her decisions she made, and whether she'll leave Lissa for good or not.

There are things I like about this book. But I'm not going to spoil all of it for the sake of the future readers. First, I liked was the way Rose gets emotional in this book. She lets her guard down, and just think before acting. But she doesn't always do that. For the future readers, you will understand me when you get into the middle of the book. Second, the revelation of the Alchemists. Yes, they have their first appearance on this book. I'm not going to explain what Alchemists are, but for one thing, you'll get mixed feelings for them. Third, Avery Lazar. She's a total b*tch. Sorry for the language, but she really is one. And I love how Mead wrote a villain that wasn't obvious she was until the end. I was like, "Rose, just slap that chick out of your lives." Lastly, the ending of the book. Seriously, the end was bamboozled with revelations and I just kept on reading it until I finished it.

For the most part, I wasn't worked up with this one. There's the part where Rose kills and tortures Strigoi vamps. I didn't like the side where her obsession for Dimitri gets her. Or the side where she just left poor Lissa without further explanation. And there's Dimitri. Spare me the lecture, I know exactly how you, Team Dimitri, feel. Dimitri's very evil in here obviously caused by Strigoi blood running in his veins. There's also less action, romance and mystery. So I was saddened that it's what I felt for like two-thirds of the book. I'd change half of the story if I could think of something better than this, but I don't have any idea.

Even if this seems to be a disappointing book, its still a favorite to me. The book is not bad, but not great. I recommend this to VA series lovers, because I know you'll love it anyway. I'm expecting a lot more on the next book so I'll go on and say VA is really amazing.

Liked it. 

Patrick

Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

   

Clarity (Clarity #1) by Kim Harrington

Hardcover: 242 pages

Release date: March 1st, 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Print

Source: Won

Buy it on: Amazon ││The Book Depository ││ Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Summary: When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?
This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case - but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother - who has supernatural gifts of his own - becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most? 

Clarity “Clare” Fern is a 16-year old girl who belongs in a family with psychic abilities. Her mother can hear what people are thinking, although only the thoughts right at the very moment. Her older brother Perry has the ability of Mediumship or communicating with spirits, while Clare’s gift is retrocognitive psychometry, meaning she’s able to pick imprints from objects and see, hear, or feel memories in her mind. Living in a tourist town meant productive business for them to do their readings. Tourists love them, but not all locals think it isn’t a freaky family business. Their lives took a turn when a psychic woman moves in to their town and claims she can see the future that stirs up competition between their businesses. Unfortunately, a bigger challenge faces their town and the Fern family when an 18-year old tourist was murdered- a thing that hadn’t happened in a very long time in their town- and Clare was hired unofficially to help with the case alongside with the new detective’s son and her ex-boyfriend. The case hangs on her decisions and ability to find the killer… but what if the killer could be someone close to her heart?

I rarely do book summaries and I hope it didn’t confuse or give too much away. This is totally unexpected of me, just like how this book surprised and stunned me more than a few times. The only things I knew before reading this book is it’s about a girl with psychic abilities who will solve a mystery. Honestly, it wasn’t enough to interest me. But thankfully, I was convinced by bloggers who list Clarity as one of their favorite reads last year. Now I definitely understand their sentiments. This book is one hell of a thriller that engaged me from the very first page ‘til the last. 

The mystery of who is the killer keeps me guessing and going through my mind. Books that make me think earn another half-star for me. Unlike the very few mystery books I’ve read before, the story is not complicated to follow and understand. It suits very well with me and I commend Kim Harrington for that. There’s a love triangle, but I think romance is not the main focus of this one, however I guess the second book would contain a little more of that. 

I really like Clare as a main character. Stripping off her psychic ability, she’s just a regular teenage girl with boy problems, mean-girl type nemesis and stuff. Because of her ‘freakiness’, she was often bullied by some guys in high school. Thankfully she’s strong and intelligent to not feel all downhearted and awful and she has her loving older brother Perry by her side. Perry’s simply awesome. Forget about his hooking up with girls as a hobby as long as he’s a good and responsible brother who cares for his family. Then there’s also the new hottie in town George and her ex-boyfriend Justin. My only problem with this is George. I don’t know… I just don’t feel his and Clare’s connection or chemistry. I believe the thing between them is kind of rushed and underdeveloped. On the other hand I didn’t expect to really like Justin at all. Given the reason why Clare and he broke up, I thought he was a jerk but really he’s not. 

Of course there was also a time when I got annoyed and tired guessing who the killer is. But I tell you not to worry. Kim Harrington has her brilliant way of unfolding the mystery and serving it up to your plate. The second book, Peception, releases March 1st this year and I’m glad I don’t have to wait for so long. 

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Teaser Tuesday: Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

It's our first Teaser Tuesday of the year! My teaser this week is from Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols. It's the sequel of The Boys Next Door which I really loved.

Summary: Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.

Lori can’t wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she’s turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that’s not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.

Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori’s romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

Teaser:

"Her eyes were sad as she said this. I should have bear-hugged her and comforted her. But when the girl of your dreams, who you’ve been chasing for years and have finally caught, tells you to make out with her, are you going to tell her you’d rather just hold each other for a while? Why, hell no."

How about your teaser for this week? Leave a link in the comments and I'll check them out. :)

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